The Daily Lard 5-24-11

Douglas LeeMay 24, 2011 7:55 AM

Good Morning, Broncos fans! Chris Hall interviewed Dennis Allen recently, and following Krieger's column from last week it's another excellent chance to get to know Denver's new DC. As we've heard constantly from the Broncos' hierarchy in recent months, Allen says he wants his defense to exhibit speed, athleticism, aggression, toughness and violence. According to Allen, what will set his squad apart is the "culture" and attitude of the defense rather than the Xs and Os, and he expects the youthful infusion of draft picks will help the Broncos sustain the success they had shown early in the 2009 season.

The 38-year-old first-time DC says the tilt of the NFL's rules toward the offense mean that defenses don't have a lot of schemes or tricks to fall back upon; rather, they must utilize fear and intimidation to gain an edge. Judging by Allen's words, he'll have to prove a master motivator more than anything else if he's to be a success with Denver - and from this video, we can at least see that Allen is a confident, well-spoken and intelligent guy. Granted, all coordinators should exhibit those very characteristics, but it's certainly a comfort that Allen does, and it's a great foundation on which to build.

Broncos

Terrell Davis tells NFLN that Tim Tebow should be the guy in Denver, even if T.D. himself wasn't an early believer in the young QB. He says Tebow brings something "special" to the table that the "good" Kyle Orton does not, that he elevates his teammates to another level and is a winner.

Legwold claims the Broncos' new staff views Knowshon Moreno as a "situational player" and he expects the former first-rounder to be utilized more as a third-down back. The passionate Legwold foresees the Broncos adding another tailback or two and a true fullback via free agency and again says they'll likely pursue DeAngelo Williams, who will cost a healthy guarantee...

ESPN's Matt Williamson sees Robert Ayers as the Bronco most likely to emerge as a star this season thanks to the team's schematic shift on defense.

The Broncos have interestingly severed ties with KCNC-4 and are expected to make KUSA-9 their flagship TV station once again.

Klis spoke with Rod Smith, whose alma mater of Missouri Southern is located in the tornado-stricken town of Joplin.

Good stuff today, Doug. Thanks for hanging in there giving me and others our football fix for the day&#8230.

Herc - good points today. When Neil Smith and Keith Traylor came aboard in &#821697, there was a definite shift in the D.

I enjoyed the Kaepernick video. Were we picking a QB this year, he would have been my fav. Thanks for the links, Doug. My server didn&#8217t support the Allen one - I&#8217ll try it later.

I sent the Kaepernick link to a 49er friend today. We figured that the only reason that Alex Smith is still starting is because he &#8220knows where all the bodies are buried&#8221.

Thanks, Doug.

Posted by BlackKnight on 2011-05-24 23:44:10

I am CBA&#8217ed out.

There, I said it (Spare me, Troy Polamalu, on the &#8220people fighting evil big business nonsense.&#8221 You are not Rosa Parks, MLK, Gandhi, Mandela, Che Guevara, or Thich Quang Duc. It&#8217s a negotiation, it happens in all business and walks of life. It&#8217s no bigger than that. The guys who should be taking a stand are the retired players but they have no bargaining chips, since the NFL can&#8217t make any money from them&#8230rant complete).

Herc, Wow, those D stats are amazing. What I remember most about those D&#8217s was their ability to get stops on 3rd down.

To Dennis Allen&#8217s point, the Offense has an advantage in the NFL, but you need a attitude on defense. I remember feeling like we are starting to get that two years ago (pre-2nd half collapse).

I can&#8217t help but get psyched about our potential but you will not hear me say the words &#8220Orange Crush&#8221 until well into the second half of the season as Wink points out (Don Martindale is that you?).

Definitely not premature, Ralph. I&#8217m right there with you. But I think it&#8217s going to be a rough wait for us the way the CBA thing is going&#8230

I&#8217m starting to really like this. I was pissed that they didn&#8217t pick up a DT with either of the picks in the 2nd Round, but it looks to me like the linebacking corp will be markedly upgraded, and we&#8217ve got plenty of youth and athleticism throughout the secondary. And I&#8217m really only concerned about the NT, provided we re-sign Marcus Thomas. To me it looks a little like the &#821698 defense - maybe not as big and bruising as some other teams&#8217s defenses, but it played with speed and aggression, defended the passing game well, and blitzed effectively. come to think of it, the 1998 squad sounds a bit like NO&#8217d defense when they won the superbowl. Both defenses benefited from playing with the lead courtesy of a high-scoring offense, so it might be a rough time for us in the coming year or two as the offense comes together and reaches it&#8217s true potential. But a defense like that has the potential to truly excel when supported by a good offense. for example, here are a few stats from the 1998 playoffs:

159 running yards allowed = avg 53 yds/game

948 total yards allowed = avg 316 yds / game

32 points allowed = avg 10.6 / game

13 turnovers = avg 4.3 / game

That&#8217s some defensive dominance, from a squad not generally regarded as a &#8220dominant&#8221 D. And while the offense generally gets credit for winning both super bowls, don&#8217t think for a minute that the D wasn&#8217t a key part of the success in both years.

Posted by Hercules Rockefeller on 2011-05-24 15:37:40

Ralph, while I am excited about the potential of our defense, I am going to keep my expectations low because I remember hearing the defensive players last year saying &#8220It&#8217s gonna be fun&#8221 and we all know what happened during the season. I do have confidence in our new DC though. Go Broncos!

Posted by Wink182 on 2011-05-24 15:13:56

Is it premature for me to be really excited to see what our defense looks like this year?

Posted by RalphW on 2011-05-24 14:20:22

Thanks Doug.

Allen already sounds like a better DC Wink. I don&#8217t think we should judge our defense until the 2nd half of the season.

Great story you recommend. More stories like this would be a positive influence on youth.